Gaucho Tower Bridge

In my opinion, London is in a place of transition. Serving as the capital as England went from being an imperialistic super power, commanding rule of the commonwealth, becoming the hub of world financial services, if not for Europe.

Multi-culture is celebrated in London, and from my visit, I could definitely sense this. I have never wandered a city more ethnically diverse, for once, the Caucasian probably feels like the minority in their own home and this has evidently caused a lot of concern for many of them, feeling marginalised in their own country.

Purveyors of equal opportunities applaud the multi-cultural background of the city because it creates more opportunities for foreign direct investment to support the various ethnic communities.

Gaucho is very highly regarded restaurant with several branches in London. The one I had the opportunity of visiting was beside the river Thames. It's got some terrific views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, and you can even sit outside if the weather permits.

Inside, the restaurant is themed with horse fur patterns and leather seating. The horse fur is paying homage to the meaning of Gaucho which in Spanish means "skilled horseman". These became national symbols for countries like Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay and indeed, Argentina is the origin of the restaurant.

It's not a Michelin restaurant but Gaucho could easily pass off as one. Everything looks very high class, exquisite to the touch, and the service is terrific.

Prior to ordering your steak, the waiter will come over and explain to you the various kinds of steak available, what the difference between them are, and even what wine will suit it best.

Gaucho are proud of the beef they serve because according to them, it is exclusive to their business and sourced from Pampas, an area of the Argentine lowlands famous for it's fertile soil.

In order to serve the best steaks, Gaucho maintain's full control of the whole chain of where the beef comes from. Every cut of the beef can be traced back to the farmer who farmed it.

The steaks for the evening, and their accompanying starters and sides. Beef has different cuts depending on what part of the cow the meat comes from.

The cuadrill rump steak is the lean one with a pure and distinctive flavour. Meanwhile, the Lomo fillet is also lean but delicate with flavour. it is marined with garlic, parsley and olive oil.

Looking back, I really enjoyed the experience because of the elements of Argentine culture in the food. Sometimes more attention should be paid to the roots of a business and with Gaucho being responsible for rearing their cattle, sourcing their meat from their own farming operations, the whole process supports local communities both here and in their home country. Some have said the steak is world class, I haven't tasted the best steaks in the world, but of all the steaks that I have tried, Gaucho's would rank among the best.